


A Promise

by kingsandqueens



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kabby, wicken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:18:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3589239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingsandqueens/pseuds/kingsandqueens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marcus breaks the news to Abby that Clarke has left Camp Jaha.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Promise

Marcus walked through medical slowly, taking his time weaving through Mount Weather's injured to get to the back of the tent where Abby had been taken to recover from her own injuries. Five minutes ago he had felt like running to her, as if the 20 minutes they'd spent apart after returning to Camp Jaha had been days. But the news Bellamy had just given him, that Clarke had left camp, was enough to make him want to delay this moment forever. This was the last thing he wanted to tell Abby right now. He had wanted to tell her that everything was fine, the camp was in good shape and everyone was in high spirits having their children returned to them. He wanted to bring her good news so that she didn’t have to carry the burden of being Chancellor on top of her own trauma. But this news…this was so much worse.

Marcus thought about everything that had happened since the 100 were sent to the ground. Abby had spent every second since then trying to find her way back to her daughter, trying to protect her, even if she knew she couldn't guard her against everything. Clarke had been her sole focus, her guiding light. Hell, even Marcus knew deep down inside that if it hadn’t been for Abby’s love of her daughter, none of the Arkers would have made it to the ground. Neither he nor anyone else on the council had even considered Earth as an option for survival. 

But Abby had.

And now, after they'd finally found some calm, after they'd all finally made it home, the one person Abby had fought so hard for was gone.

Bellamy had wanted to break the news. He knew how important Clarke was to Abby, and he felt it was his responsibility to tell her. But Marcus wouldn’t let him. Partially because he knew Abby was less likely to bite his head off, but also because Bellamy had been through enough. He didn’t need Abby’s anger and pain to haunt him on top of everything else.  
So instead he found himself making this walk, to tell a mother that her daughter was gone...again.

Marcus took a fortifying breath before entering the room where Raven and Abby had been taken. His first thought was that it was too crowded. Abby lay on a cot to his right with Jackson fussing over her, while Raven lay on a cot on his left with Wick by her side. He immediately wished that he and Abby were alone. She was already in a shaky emotional state, she didn’t need an audience while he gave her the news that would break her heart. But he knew that Raven was in no condition to move, and he also knew that there was no way Wick would leave her side. Marcus wasn’t even sure that Wick had let go of her completely since he was released from his handcuffs inside the mountain.

“Jackson, I’m fine. Really.”

“You’re not fine, Abby. You’ve just been through hell,” Jackson pleaded with her. Marcus smiled a little. It was starting to become familiar to him, listening to Abby refuse help while Jackson tried to tend to her. In any other situation it would almost be amusing.

“There are plenty of other people that need attention. And it’s not like I’m going anywhere,” she added with a tiny smirk, although the look of pain in her eyes betrayed her confident remarks.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she doesn’t run off,” Marcus offered, finally making his presence known. Abby and Jackson turned to look at him. He noticed her relax a little when she saw him, and if it had been any other time her warm smile would have given him hope. But knowing that he was about to destroy hers, her warmth towards him only made him feel cold and betraying. 

“Fine. But she better not leave that bed. I mean it.” Jackson leveled a glare at Marcus, and then gave one more annoyed look to Abby before moving out to where the rest of the patients were. Marcus watched him go, and then turned back to Abby who was trying to get comfortable on her cot, although Marcus could tell that the pain in her legs wasn’t subsiding at all. Every muscle was tense and she was gritting her teeth through her smile. 

“I think I’ve become his least favorite patient. I’m surprised he didn’t tie me down.”

“Abby…” Marcus scoffed. How could she be making jokes about this already?

“It’s cause you’re damn stubborn,” Raven added wearily from the other side of the room. Marcus thought that statement was ironic coming from her. 

“So I’m told,” Abby breathed, giving Marcus a knowing smirk. “How’s the rest of the camp? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Abby, everything’s fine.” Marcus tried to give her a smile, but he knew it didn’t reach his eyes. He made his way over to her side slowly, every step feeling heavier than the last. 

“You don’t sound very convincing.” Marcus looked up to see her searching his face. She knew something was wrong. That tiny smirk had faded, and she was giving him a serious, although weary, look. She waited for him to speak, but he suddenly couldn’t say a thing. He could hardly breath. “Marcus...what is it? What’s wrong?” She was worried now, and he knew he couldn’t delay this any longer. He suddenly found himself wishing that he had let Bellamy do this after all. Unfortunately, he could feel Raven and Wick listening behind him, just as eager to hear what he had to say.

“Abby…” he choked. His voice sounded weak, and he internally cursed himself for not being stronger for her. “It’s Clarke…” he said, without meeting her eyes. “She’s gone.” 

The silence that followed was almost suffocating. He forced himself to look at Abby. Her expression was a mix of hurt, fear, and confusion.

“What do you mean gone?” her voice came out as a whisper. “She was just here with us. She came into camp with us!” her voice began rise as it was filled with panic.

“No, she didn’t. She never came through the gate.” Abby’s eyes were starting to fill with tears now, and Marcus talked faster so that he could finish what he had to say before he couldn’t bear to break her heart anymore. “Bellamy told me that she didn’t want to come in. She couldn’t handle being reminded of what she did at Mount Weather, so she left on her own.” 

“No.”

“Abby she just needs time…”

“No, Marcus...” Abby tried to sit up, tears beginning to spill from her eyes now. “She can’t leave. How will she even survive out there on her own?!” The panic was starting to turn to anger, the kind of anger you only feel when the pain has become too much and any other feeling is easier to handle.

“She’s smart Abby. She’ll find a way…”

“NO Marcus! You have to go after her!” Abby was sitting up now, and Marcus only moved towards her more when he realized she was trying to get out of bed.

“Abby stop, you’re gonna hurt yourself!” Marcus put a hand on her shoulder, but she immediately pushed it away.

“I have to find her.” Abby began to push her legs off the cot. As soon as the first one went over the edge, she gasped and froze in pain. Marcus was almost sure she was going to pass out right there. He immediately reached to steady her, but to his surprise she shoved him hard in the chest, pushing him back a little.

“Abby stop!” This time it was Raven that tried to calm her friend down. Marcus had almost forgotten they were there, but now he realized that both Wick and Raven were having just as hard a time seeing Abby like this. She was always so strong and composed, but now she was starting to fall apart.

“Ah!” Marcus turned his attention back to Abby at her gasp of pain, and realized that she was close to being out of bed. 

“Abby don’t. You can’t even walk! Please!” He put his hand on her shoulder again, and this time he refused to let her push him away. But she didn’t. Instead she grabbed ahold of his jacket and her whole body tensed. 

“Marcus please…” He had expected to keep yelling, but instead her voice came out as a barely whispered plea. He realized she was struggling to keep herself from falling apart right there in front of them. Her eyes were tightly shut from the pain, physical and emotional, and she now had a death grip on his jacket, while her other hand gripped the bed like her life depended on it. “I can’t lose her again...I can’t…”

Abby finally looked Marcus in the eye, and this time his heart broke. He had never seen her so vulnerable and broken. Her eyes were shining with tears that now flowed freely down her face, and her breathing was shaky. She was pleading with him, and even though he wanted nothing more than to help take her pain away, he knew there was nothing that could be done. If Clarke didn’t want to be found, she wasn’t going to be found. And they both knew that. But Marcus also knew that Abby would never be happy without her daughter, and that thought brought more pain to him than he wanted to admit. He knew nothing he did for her would matter if Clarke wasn’t there, and that was something he no longer had control of. 

“Marcus…” One final plea, and then she finally let go. Abby began to sob openly. Pained and strangled noises began to pour out of her, and she didn’t try to hold them back. She was broken. Abby had been strong for so long, and now she had finally reached her limit.

“Abby…” Marcus did the only thing he could do. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. She wept into his chest, leaning into him for support. It was at that moment that he realized how small she was, completely wrapped up in his arms. How could someone so small take up so much room in his heart? How could she carry the weight of all of their people on her shoulders for so long, and only just now break down? 

“I’m so sorry Abby.” Marcus didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t reassure her that Clarke would be fine, because he didn’t really know. It was a dangerous new world, and despite the fact that Clarke was strong and smart, she wasn’t invincible. 

“I just want my daughter…” Abby whined between sobs. Marcus had never seen her break down. Not when Jake was floated, not when he had sentenced her to death or she had almost died on the Ark, and not even when she was being drilled for bone marrow. No, Abby had always been the strong one. She had always carried on with her head held high, even when she had every reason to fall apart. Listening to her now, Marcus made a vow to himself to do everything in his power to never have to hear those sounds from her again. He would do whatever it took to protect this woman.

“It’s okay Abby. You’re going to be okay.” Marcus had one hand on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair, and the other running soothingly up and down her back. “It’s gonna be okay.”

He heard rustling behind him before he heard Jackson’s voice.

“What happened?! Is she okay?!” Jackson began to move towards them before Wick stopped him.

“It’s Clarke.” Jackson looked at Wick, confusion in his eyes.

“She left camp,” Raven clarified in a low voice, careful not to say it too loud so that she wouldn’t upset Abby even more.

“Well...when is she coming back?”

The silence that followed was answer enough. Nobody wanted to be the one that said “she isn’t.”

Abby’s sobs were now the only sounds that filled the room. Marcus just held onto her, trying desperately to offer some comfort. Jackson soon left to give them some privacy, and to continue checking up on the rest of the camp. Wick resumed his position by Raven, while they both tried not to think about how useless they were in helping Abby. 

Eventually Abby’s sobs began to quiet. She was too exhausted to cry for long. Marcus noticed as her grip on his jacket began to weaken and she started to shiver. He imagined it was the physical and emotional exhaustion finally starting to take their toll. Once her sobs stopped, he gently took her by her shoulders and pushed her back a little bit so he could see her face. Her eyes were only half open, but they were red, and her entire face was wet with tears. He also noticed the bags under eyes, and that her complexion was looking a little pale where it wasn’t red.

“You should lie down Abby,” Marcus talked softly to her, as if he was afraid a loud noise would set her off again. She nodded slightly, so Marcus gently put one arm behind her shoulders as he used the other one to tenderly lift her legs back onto the bed. She only the made the smallest noise of pain, and Marcus knew her energy was completely spent. He brought the blanket back over her and made sure she was comfortable again. He then grabbed a nearby cloth and began to wipe the tears off her face.

After he was done, he put the cloth down and then he didn’t know what to do. Should he leave her be? He wasn’t sure she wanted to be around anyone right now. Abby wasn’t usually the one to lean on other people, she usually convinced them to lean on her.

“Marcus?” Her whisper was so quiet he almost missed it.

“Yeah, Abby?”

“Please don’t leave me…” her voice was weak, but her words were clear. She looked at Marcus pleadingly. “Please stay.”  
Marcus sighed in relief. At least she had answered that question for him. “Of course.” He pulled up a chair next to her and took a seat. It wasn’t until he was sitting down that he realized that he was exhausted too. It had been a long couple days for all of them. 

Marcus propped his head up on his hand next to her pillow so that he could look at her, and used his other hand to hold onto hers, just as they had when they passed through the gates of Camp Jaha. Marcus thought that holding her hand was something he could get used to.

“I’m right here Abby. I’m not going anywhere.” Marcus gave her hand a little reassuring squeeze, a silent promise.

“Thank you.” It wasn’t long before she was asleep, the exhaustion finally forcing her to rest. Soon after Marcus began to feel that his eyes were heavy too. He laid his head down on his arm next to her head, but he didn’t let go of her hand.

Marcus couldn’t promise her that Clarke would be okay, and he couldn’t promise her that she would come back. But he could promise her that he wouldn’t let go, and it was a promise he was determined to keep.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfic, and my first fictional writing in at least 7 years, so comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Hope you liked it.


End file.
